1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for the automatic filling of bags at the discharge spout of a filling hopper whereby the empty bags are horizontally stacked within a magazine, with a suction device to individually remove the bags from the bag magazine, swing the seized bag into an essentially vertical hanging position, with a spreading mechanism to open up the respective bag in the area of its opening, as well as a holding mechanism to clamp the bag opening to the discharge spout.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fully automatic devices for the filling of bags, for instance bags made of paper, plastic or similar materials, have been known for some time. In a known apparatus (GB-Pat. No. 1 224 317) an empty bag is removed from a stack by means of a first pneumatic cylinder and a suction cup, it is then spread at the opening side by means of a second cylinder and swung, by means of an articulated axle in front of a filling spout. In doing so, the two sides of the bag must be held near the opening by two pairs of clamps, each holding the respective side of the bag. The apparatus of record is expensive and complicated in design and performs a large number of operations, whereby in addition, an interrelation of the individual operational steps is required: the starting position of the apparatus cannot be assumed until all individual operational steps have been completed.
In another bag-filling apparatus of the initially described type of record (DE-AS No. 23 61 037), the suction elements used for the withdrawal of the individual bags are attached to arms with an axle held on the frame which is in parallel arrangement to one of the two sides of the bag. The seized bag is first removed from its horizontal stacked position and placed into an essentially vertical position, is then grabbed by the suction elements in the area near its opening by the suction elements arranged at swinging arms, is then transferred into a position, swung by about 90.degree. (vertical hanging position) and, at the same time is slipped over the discharge spout of the filling hopper. This makes it possible that the time sequence of the filling process is as long as the slowest of the individual operations and the original position may be reached before all individual steps have been completed. In this apparatus of record, however, the use of several moveable individual elements is necessary whereby the bag first removed from the stack must be transferred to another swinging device before it can reach the outlet spout of the filling hopper. This transfer of the seized bag from the pick-up device to an additional device to slip it over the discharge spout of the filling hopper may give rise to breakdowns in operation.